This dagger has a fabulous scabbard showing the 'Dance of Death'. If you look carefully you can see skeletons playing drums and dancing around wealthy lords and ladies in fashionable clothes, as well as soldiers, priests and children. At the tip of the scabbard is an hour-glass. The hour-glass reminds us that life is short, while the skeletons are a more powerful symbol of death. By showing skeletons cavorting around all of these different sorts of people the artist is telling us that it does not matter how rich or strong or holy you are, death finds everyone eventually. The 'Dance of Death' is a reminder to make the most of life while you have it.

Daggers of this type were often made according to a design drawn by Hans Holbein in the 1570s. This one was actually made in the 19th century. These 'Dance of Death' daggers were very popular in the 1800s and many fakes were produced for sale to unsuspecting collectors.

In many cultures, particularly South and Latin America, the Day of the Dead is a holiday during which people dress up as skeletons and decorate their houses and streets with skulls and skeletons as a way of celebrating life and the lives of their ancestors.